The Portland daily press., 1887-02-12
VETOED BY THE PRESIDENT.
The Dependent Pension Bill Re-
turned to the House Unsigned.
His Reasons for Not Approving the
Bill.
Some. Interesting Statements OF
Facts and Figures.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 1.-THE President
sent message to the House today yetoing
the dependent pension bill. He said:
herewith return without my approval the
House bill No. 10,457 entitled "An act for /
the relief of dependent parents and honora-
bly, discharged soldiers and sailors who are
now disabled and dependent upon their own
labor for support. This is the first general
bill that has been sanctioned by Congress
since the elose of the late civil war, permit
ting pensions to soldiers and sailors who
served in that war upon the ground Of ser
vice and present disability alone, and in the
entire absence of any injuries received by
casualties or incidents Of such service.
While by almost constant legislation since
the close of this war there has been COM
pensation awarded for every possible injury
received as a result Of military service In the
union army, and while great number OF
laws passed for that purpose have been ad-
ministered with great liberality and nave
been supplemented by numerous private
acts to reach special cases, there has not |
until now been an avowed departure from
the principles thus far adhered TO respecting |
union soldiers, that the bounty OF the gov
ously bestowed when granted to those
who in this military service, and
in the line Of military duty, have |
to a greater or less extent been disabled. |
But it a mistake to suppose that service |
pensions such as are permitted by the second |
section of the bill under consideration are |
new to our legislation In 1918, thirty-tve |
years after the close of the Revolutionary |
war, there were granted to soldiers IN that /
struggle, conditional upon service until the /
end Of the war or for term not less than
nine months, and requesting every beneh-
ciary under an act to be one who is or here |
after by reason Of his reduced circumstances |
III his eoantrV Sda for M Another law Of
like character was passed IN 1928, requiring |
service until the close of the Revolutionary |
war, and still another passed in 1882, pro-
vided for those persons not included In pre-
Yious statute, but who served two years at
some time during the war, and giving pro
portiOnate sum to those who had
served not less than six months. |
A service pension law was passed for the |
benefit of the soldiers of 1872 in the year 1871,
fifty-six years after the close Of that war,
which required only sixty days service, and |
and another was passed IN 1878, Sixty-three |
years after the war, requiring only fourteen
days service. The service pension bill passed
at this session Of Congress, 80 years after the
close of the Mexican war for the benefit Of
soldiers of that war required either soma
degree of disability, or dependency, or that
the claimant under its provisions should be
62 years of age, and in either case should
1t will be seen that the bill of 1918, and the
Mexican pension bill being thus passed
nearer the close of the wars in which its
benefeiaries were engaged than the others,
one 35 years and other of SO years, after the
termination Of such wars, embraced persons
who were quite advanced in age, assumed TO
be comparatively few in number and whose
circumstances, dependence and disabilities
were clearly defined, and could be quite |
easily fixed. The number OF enlistments in |
the Revolutionary war was stated to be |
309,791, and in the war Of 1872 546,652, but !
it is estimated, on account Of repeated re- |
enlistments, the number OF individuals en- |
gagged in these wars did not exceed one half |
the number represented by these figures. In
: the war with Mexico the ndmber of enlist
ments was reported TO be ,230, which rep
resents greater proportion Of individuals
engaged than the reported enlistments In
the previous wars. The number OF pensions
granted under all laws to soldiers of the
Revolution IS given az o0.269, 10 soldiers oi
the war Of 1912 and their widows, COLTS; and
to soldiers of the Mexican war and their
widows, up to June 80, 1885, 1913. The war
of the Rebellion terminated nearly y years
ago. The number of men furnished for its
prosecution is stated to be 2,772, ,403. No cor
responding number of statutes have ever
been passed to cover every kind OF injury or
disability incurred in the military service OF
any war. Under these statutes, s56l, ,576 PEN
sions have been granted from the year 1861
ers have been added to the rolls by private
acts passed to meet cases, many OF
them Of questionable merit, which
the general laws did not cover;
On July 1, 1886, 800, 763 pensioners Of all
classes were upon the pension rolls, OF whom
305, Cos were survivors Of the war of the rebel
lion, and their widows and dependents. For
the year ending June 30, 1857, 600 has
been appropriated. The payment OF pensions
and the amount expended for that purpose
from 1861 to July l, 1886. is Oo,624, ,Sll.5l.
While annually paying out such vast sum
for pensions already granted, 1t Is now pro-
posed by the bill under consideration to
award service pensions to soldiers Of all wars
in which the United States has been engaged.
including, of course, the war OF the rebellion,
and to pay those entitled to the benefits Of
the acts the sum of S12 per month. So far as it
relates to soldiers of the late civil war, the
bounty ii affords them is given thirteen years
earlier than 1t has been furnished the soldiers
of any other war, and before large majority
of its benefeiaries have advanced in age be-
yond the strength and vigor OF the prime OF
life. The pension 1t awards is allowed to en-
listed men who have not suffered the least
injury, disability, loss or damage Of any kind
incurred or any degree referable to their
military service.
Under the last call of the President for
troops in December, 1864, 1893 men were
furnished who were thus discharged. The
section allowing this pension does, however,
require, beside service of three months and
an lOuOIdblt budb NiocO oCNhAuH
the benefit Of the act shall be such as "are
now or may be hereafter suffering from men
tai or physical debility not the result OF their
own vicious habits, or gross carelessneSs
which incapacitates them for the perform
ance of labor in such degree as to render
them unable to earn support, and who are
dependent ON their daily labor for support"
IL provides further that such persons shall
upon making proof of the fact "be placed on
| the list of invalid pensioners of the United
| States and entitled TO receive for such total
| inability to procure their subsistence by
| daily labor, Sl2 per month"
Upon careful consideration of the Lam
| guage of the parts of the bill it seems to me
| to be SO uncertain and liable to such con-
| hictng construction and TO be subject to
| such unjust and mischievous application as
| to alone furnish sufficient ground for disap-
proving the proposed legislation.
The President then reviews the conditions
| Of the bill in which pensions are to be grant
| ed, and points out the difficulty there would
| be in determining their meaning, degree and
| scope.
The President continues: j am of the
| opinion that ii may fairly be c0ntended, un-
| der the provisions Of this section, that any
| soldier whose faculties Of mind or body have
| become impaired by accident, disease or age,
| irrespective of his service in the army as
cause, and who, by his labor only, Is left in
| capable OF gaining fair support, which he
/ might with unimpaired powers have provid-
/ ed for himself, and who Is not so well en-
/ dOwed with this worlds goods as to live
| without work, can claim to participate In It's